Shoigu: Russia has slowed down the offensive to save Ukrainian lives
At a meeting of defense ministers of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia deliberately slowed down the pace of its offensive in Ukraine in order to reduce the number of civilian casualties.
"During the special operation, we strictly observe the norms of humanitarian law. Strikes are carried out with high-precision weapons on of the military infrastructure facilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: command centers, airfields, warehouses, fortified areas, objects of the military-industrial complex. At the same time, everything is being done to avoid casualties among civilians. Of course, this slows down the pace of the offensive, but we chose it consciously," Shoigu said.
According to the UN, more than 13,000 civilians, including 356 children have been killed during Russian invasion of Ukraine. The real number of civilian casualties is likely to be much higher. 11.1 million people left the country. Some cities have been almost wiped off the face of the earth. Among them is Izyum in the Kharkiv region, which has been under the control of the Russian military since the beginning of March.